MELBOURNE — Six-time champion Serena Williams was handed a tough draw yesterday at the Australian Open, while defending champion Angelique Kerber has a slightly easier route towards another final.

The American powerhouse, bidding for a 23rd Grand Slam crown at the tournament starting in Melbourne on Monday, faces dangerous former world number seven Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the opening round.

Second seed Williams, who lost the top ranking to Kerber last year, could then encounter in-form Briton Johanna Konta in the fourth round and Slovak sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova in the quarters.

She could potentially then meet her US Open conqueror Karolina Pliskova in the semi-final of the bottom half of the draw.

Williams’ drop to world number two was triggered by her shock defeat to Pliskova at Flushing Meadows last year, which also denied her the chance to better Steffi Graf’s 22 Grand Slam victories.

Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard, who rediscovered some form at the Sydney International in reaching the semi-finals, is another potentially in Kerber’s way.

Romania’s world number four Simona Halep opens with a match against American Shelby Rogers and could face a quarter-final against either Ukraine 11th seed Elina Svitolina or experienced Russian eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Meanwhile, world No 1 Andy Murray could face challenges from Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka if he is to reach a sixth Australian Open final following yesterday’s draw.

The Scot, coming off a magnificent 2016 with a second Wimbledon crown, a successful Olympic title defence and the year-end top ranking, has lost five Melbourne finals, four of those to defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who was knighted in Britain’s New Year Honours list, faces Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko first up and could meet Japanese fifth seed Nishikori or Swiss legend Roger Federer in the quarters and 2014 winner Wawrinka in the semis. — AFP